Management of Change - The Transformation of UK CoalProject 105

摘要

In the UK during the 1990s the energy companies had developed a policyrnof ‘Dash for Gas’, building large natural gas power stations to producernmore than 30 per cent of the UK’s electricity demand. The price ofrnimported thermal coal was dropping and the electricity generators werernputting pressure on the UK coal producers to produce coal at a reducedrncost. Imported coal from Columbia, South Africa, America andrnAustralasia had increased their market share in thermal coal sales to overrn50 per cent of a 55 Mtpa market. The pressure on the UK coal industry tornreduce costs and improve productivity levels from an ever decreasingrnresource was high. Companies were benchmarking their operations on thernimported coal producers and had to realign their organisations,rnproductivity levels and costs to world best practice, not just technically,rnbut in world class organisational management techniques.